Baby Essentials: Making Life Easier

Having a baby changes everything. We hear it time and time again, and as parents, we know it’s true. One of the things it changes is just how much work is involved in a simple run to the store. A round-trip visit to the drug store might have taken you all of 15 minutes pre-baby, while after baby it can take almost twice that long just to get out the door.

What New Moms Actually Need

Well.ca, Canada’s largest online store for health, beauty and baby products, recently surveyed 1000 new moms. 45% of the moms said they had more clothes and toys than they needed. 24% had to run out to buy things they didn’t anticipate needing – no easy feat when you’re still recovering from birth and you haven’t slept more than two hours at a stretch in weeks. Finally, 46% of new moms were scrambling for essentials. Babies can go through diapers faster than you think.

“I’m two weeks away from having my second child and I know how difficult it is in those first few weeks. I want to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to make things a little bit easier for new parents,” said Rebecca McKillican, Well.ca President and CEO. “Talking directly to new mothers highlighted that the items people don’t realize they need are the ones that help sooth newborns and help mothers recover and cope with the constant feedings.”

100 Baby Essentials

To help new moms out, Well.ca made a list the top 100 essential items new moms actually need. So what made the list? Baby carriers ranked at the top. Other high-ranking items included bouncy chairs or swings, swaddle blankets, nursing bras, breast pumps and baby monitors. To help plan your own baby shopping, check out the full list at well.ca/newmomessentials.

Stocking up on the items you actually need before your baby comes is great … but not all of us manage to pull it off. If you find yourself scrambling, consider shopping online. Well.ca is a great option, but it’s not the only one. From online grocery delivery to online baby stores to brick-and-mortar businesses that offer delivery service, there are lots of ways to get the things you need without leaving the house. The time will come again when you can eat a warm meal, shower regularly, and leave the house without too much thought. Until it does, cut yourself some slack and let other people bring things to you.

Amber Strocel is the Managing Editor of City Mom Now, the parent network of Toronto Mom Now. She is a writer, podcaster, ardent crafter and green mom, who believes strongly in the power of the Internet to connect and empower. You can follow her on her personal blog at Strocel.com.